PA chief Mahmoud Abbas
PA chief Mahmoud AbbasFlash90

Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas on Monday met US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Victoria Nuland, at his headquarters in Ramallah.

According to the PA’s official WAFA news agency, Abbas told Nuland that Israel must stop its unilateral measures that undermine the two-state solution.

Abbas briefed Nuland on the latest developments in the Palestinian territories, especially on what was described as “the unilateral Israeli measures that undermine the two-state solution”. He stressed the need to stop these Israeli measures and move to implement the agreements signed between the two sides in order to start a real political process based on United Nations resolutions.

The PA chairman also stressed the importance of continuing to work on strengthening bilateral relations with the United States and overcoming the obstacles that stand in the way of these relations, the report said.

The meeting between Abbas and Nuland marks the latest step in the improvement of ties between the US and the PA.

The PA had a tense relationship with the Trump administration and had been boycotting the US since 2017, in protest of Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and the relocation of the US embassy in Israel to the city.

However, since taking office, the Biden administration has renewed ties with the PA and had been crafting a plan aimed at “resetting” US ties with the PA.

In one move, the Biden administration announced it intends to resume aid to UNRWA as well as other aid to the PA which was suspended by the Trump administration.